Croatia Special: A star is born

Croatia has entered the Mediterranean big league, but how can you get the best from the 'New Riviera'? David Wickers shows the way in our free guide

These days, it’s not hard to find a contented Croat. While many popular Mediterranean destinations grapple with a downturn, last summer was a bonanza in the Balkans, with UK visitors up by 40% on 2003. This year’s prospects look perky, too: 15 tour operators are featuring Croatia for the first time, and those that dipped their toe in the Med’s clearest water in 2004 are now diving headlong into other parts of the country — and splashing cash about wherever they go.

Since much of Croatia is a long narrow strip of coast, it’s an obvious candidate for the classic sunny summer holiday. Having emerged from the bust-up of old Yugoslavia with the lion’s share of the shore, it offers almost 1,000 miles of seaside, reaching all the way from the Slovenian border to the Montenegrin one. And should you run out of mainland, there are still 1,185 islands to play